In Groton, volunteers fight back against knotweed

GROTON—In stifling, almost oppressive heat and humidity, a small troop of aged, sweaty volunteers waged war against an invasive pest proliferating across the landscape. On the eighth day of the campaign, total combat had reached its zenith. Thousands of victims had been scythed down in the primes of their lives. The fields of battle teemed with heaps of rotting cadavers. Alan Eastman was gleeful. Japanese knotweed is a formidable opponent. The invasive weed aggressively expands, forming massive blocks of tall canes that completely crowd out native species reducing biodiversity.